Related News

Chatham County taxpayers could be taking a big risk by publicly financing a new hotel at the Savannah Trade and Convention Center. That's the conclusion of a consultant hired by the trade center board to run the numbers. The consultant says, the hotel business is extremely volatile and the hotel's developer is being overly-optimistic about potential revenue.

Governor Nathan Deal still is reviewing a bill to boost tax incentives to spur some tourism projects. The tax breaks could help a proposed convention hotel in Savannah. Some hotel owners have tried to block the hotel because it could be financed with 50-million-dollars in county bonds. The opponents says, that's unfair to privately-backed hotels.

Officials in Savannah's Chatham County are closer to agreement over how much county taxpayers should finance a new hotel on Hutchinson Island. The project will add another hotel option for guests attending convention center events. But in the past few months, some have questioned possible public loans and hotel taxes going to the project.